HILLSBORO – In 2008, Hillsboro voters soundly defeated a $44.5 million bond measure to construct an indoor recreation facility at 53rd Avenue Community Park and make improvements to other sites – but city leaders say the need is still there, and consultants deemed that facility a “top priority.”

It’s still very early in the master planning process, but the Hillsboro Parks and Recreation Commission heard a lengthy update Tuesday morning from consultants hired to examine the city’s indoor facilities inventory and help plan for the next 20-30 years of growth.

Opsis Architecture was awarded a $50,000 contract in August, funded by parks system development charges.

Jim Kalvelage of Opsis and Ken Ballard, with Ballard, King & Associates, a Colorado company specializing in recreation facility planning, addressed the commission for nearly an hour. They presented three possible facilities for specific areas of the city deemed under-served as well as preliminary cost estimates.

The consultants are expected to finish their plan in March 2013, and the commission would then make recommendations about any capital projects and send those proposals to the City Council.

The pair painted a picture of a city well behind its peers when it comes to indoor recreation options. Cities typically have one larger indoor facility per 30,000-50,000 residents. Hillsboro has just one, the Shute Park Aquatic & Recreation Center (SHARC), and that facility is in need of significant renovation, according to Kalvelage and Ballard. Hillsboro is Oregon's fifth-largest city, with a population of 93,455, according to the U.S. Census Department

Commissioners heard detailed specs for three possible construction projects; a facility at 53rd Avenue, and new buildings in the planned communities of AmberGlen and South Hillsboro.

The master plan doesn’t yet include any information regarding the actual operational costs of any facility. Under the 2008 bond measure, the 53rd Avenue facility would’ve cost an estimated $750,000 annually to operate, according to interim parks director Wayne Gross.

Despite the infancy of the planning process, operating costs
and the amount of money recouped through fees and programs are key
factors. “We need to decide as a city what’s an adequate level of subsidy for
this,” Gross said.

Today’s economic situation is vastly different than 2008, and it’s possible a scaled down version of the 53rd Avenue facility would be more palatable to voters hungry for more recreation options. Former parks director and current assistant city manager Steve Greagor termed it “more reasonable bites at the apple.” The 2008 proposal called for a 121,000-square-foot structure.

But despite a smaller facility, the 53rd Avenue site is projected to cost $29 million to $36 million. Facilities in AmberGlen and South Hillsboro could also top $20 million.

Kalvelage said the city could also do more with its current facilities. He touted a so-called “Civic Campus” near Shute Park, emphasizing the collective resources of the Shute Park Library, SHARC and Senior Community Center.

The library is already slated for renovations starting in 2013, and Kalvelage and Ballard said the senior center could also use a significant upgrade.

Gross said SHARC renovations are necessary to prevent a loss of revenue for the department. “If you build a brand new facility, everyone will want to go there,” he said.

Jay Leo, commission chair, asked about any public feedback on the master plan thus far. Development manager Lisa Goorjian called the briefing a “first snapshot,” and said the department hasn’t entered that phase yet.

The consultants and staff also plan to reach out to big businesses in Hillsboro, such as Intel, Kaiser Permanente and Tuality Healthcare.